Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is a communication technology that accesses associated data of a specific target using radio frequency (RF) signals. No physical or optical contact is needed between the specific target and a data reading system applying the RFID technology. Therefore, data identification as well as read/write speed of the data reading system is much faster than that of a traditional bar-code device.
Because RFID technology can be widely applied in fields of logistics management, public consumption, identification and smart homes and offices to bring convenience, companies are increasingly investing in research and development regarding RFID technology. However, in addition to not yet having costs low enough to replace bar-code devices in a full-scale, RFID technology is also faced with unsatisfactory data security. More specifically, keeping data confidential over RF signal exchanges stands as a leading goal.
RFID tags are classified into active and passive types according to whether a chip is provided with an internal power supply. Taking a passive RFID tag for example, an antenna of the RFID tag receives an RF signal transmitted from an RFID reader within a specific distance, and provides a chip circuit with power using a received radio wave. Once started, the chip circuit in the RFID tag automatically decodes and interprets the signal received by the antenna, and provides data demanded by the RFID reader in the form of an RF signal, such as an identification number of the tag, or other information pre-stored in an internal memory of the RFID tag.
For the current Electronic Product Code (EPC) ultra-high frequency (UHF) Class1 Gen2 (C1G2) RFID specification, any RFID reader compatible with the EPC UHF C1G2 specification is capable of accessing any RFID tag compatible to the same specification. Further, data provided by an RFIDRF tag is not protected by encryption of any form when transmitted in a transmission medium, e.g., the air, thus making the theft of the data exposed in the air relatively effortless to those with malicious intentions.